धृतराष्ट्र उवाच तथा प्रविष्टं तरुणं सौभद्रमपराजितम्। कुलानुरूपं कुर्वाणं संग्रामेष्वपलायिनम्॥ आजानेयैः सुबलिभिर्यान्तमश्वैस्त्रिहायनैः। प्लवमानमिवाकाशे के शूराः समवारयन्॥
Dhritarashtra said ever When that youthful and invincible son of Subhadra, unretrcating in battle, penetrating into the ranks of my troops was achieving feats worthy of his own family and when borne by his three-year-old steeds of great strength and excellent breed, he appeared to sail through the skies, what heroes of my army then strove to resist him?
संजय उवाच अभिमन्युः प्रविश्यैतांस्तावका निशितैः शरैः। अकरोत् पार्थिवान् सर्वान् विमुखान् पाण्डुनन्दनः॥
Sanjaya said Penetrating into the heart of your troops, Abhimanyu, the delighter of the Pandavas, with his sharp arrows compelled all the kings to turn their faces away from the field of battle.
तं तु द्रोणः कृपः कर्णो द्रोणिश्च स बृहदलः। कृतवर्मा च हार्दिक्यः षड् रथाः पर्यवारयन्॥
Thereupon Drona, Kripa, Karna, the son of Drona, Brihadbala and Kritavarman the son of Hridika, these six car-warriors surrounded him.
दृष्ट्वा तु सैन्धवे भारमतिमात्रं समाहितम्। सैन्यं तव महाराज युधिष्ठिरमुपाद्रवत्॥
Beholding a very heavy burden (of keeping the rest of the Pandavas at bay) placed on the shoulder of the Sindhu king, your troops, O mighty monarch, assailed Yudhishthira.
सौभद्रमितरे वीरमभ्यवर्षशराम्बुभिः। तालमात्राणि चापानि विकर्षन्तो महाबलाः॥
Other mighty warriors stretching their bows full six cubits long, covered the heroic son of Subhadra with a shower of arrows.
तांस्तु सर्वान् महेष्वान् सर्वविद्यासु निष्ठितान्। व्यष्टम्भयद् रणे बापौः सौभद्रः परवीरहा॥
Then that slayer of hostile heroes, namely Subhadra's son, assailed by means of his arrows, all those mighty car-warriors all well accomplished in all kinds of learning.
द्रोणं पञ्चाशताविध्यद् विंशत्या च बृहद्बलम्। आशीत्या कृतवर्माणं कृपं षष्टया शिलीमुखैः॥ रुक्मपुथैर्महावेगैराकर्णसमचोदितैः। अविध्यद् दशभिर्वाणैरश्वत्थामानमार्जुनिः॥
And he then pierced Drona with fifty arrows and Brihadvala with twenty; and Kritavarman with eighty and Kripa with sixty, the son of Arjuna then pierced Ashvatthaman with ten shafts furnished with wings of gold, charged with great forces and shot from the bow drank back to the very ear.
स कर्णं कर्णिना कर्णे पीतेन च शितेन च। फाल्गुनिर्द्विषतां मध्ये विव्याध परमेषुणा॥
Then in the very midst of the hostile troops, the son of Phalguna pierced Karna in one of his ears with an excellent barbed arrows, carefully tempered and whetted.
पातयित्वा कृपस्याश्वांस्तथोभौ पार्णिसारथी। अथैनं दशभिर्बाणैः प्रत्यविध्यत् स्तनान्तरे॥
Then having felled Krìpa's steeds and the two supporters of his flanks, Abhimanyu pierced him on his breast with ten shafts.
ततो वृन्दारकं वीरं कुरूणां कीर्तिवर्धनम्। पुत्राणां तव वीराणां पश्यतामवधीद् बली॥
Thereafter the valiant Abhimanyu slew the warlike Vrindaraka the enhancer of the glory of the Kurus, even before the very eyes of your heroic son.
तं द्रौणिः पञ्चविंशत्या क्षुद्रकाणां समार्पयत्। वरं वरममित्राणामारुजन्तमभीतवत्॥
Then Drona's son dauntlessly struck Abhimanyu with twenty-five short arrows, when the latter was occupied in slaying the best among his enemies.
स तु बाणैः शितैस्तूर्णं प्रत्यविध्यत मारिष। पश्यतां धार्तराष्ट्राणामश्वत्थामानमा निः॥
son Thereupon O Sire, Arjuna's son pierced Ashvatthaman in return with whetted shafts, before the presence of all the warriors of your army.
षष्ट्या शराणां तं द्रौणिस्मिग्मधारैः सुतेजनैः। उौर्नाकम्पयद् विद्ध्वा मैनाकमिव पर्वतम्॥
Then Drona's having pierced Abhimanyu with sixty fierce and resplendent shafts of exceeding sharpness, could not make the latter tremble; and then the latter remained unmoved like the Mainaka hills.
स तु द्रौणिं त्रिसप्त्या हेमपुजैरजिह्मगैः। प्रत्यविध्यन्महातेजा बलवानपकारिणम्॥
Then that hero of puissant mighty and fierce energy, pierced the son of Drona who had been afflicting him, with thirty seven arrows, all straight-going and furnished with wings of gold.
तस्मिन् द्रोणो बाणशतं पुत्रगृद्धी न्यपातयत्। अश्वत्थामा तथाष्टौ च परीप्सन पितरं रणे॥
Thereupon Drona desirous of saving his son, struck hundred shafts on Abhimanyu; and Ashvatthaman also desirous of rescuing his father, pierced him with sixty shafts.
कर्णो द्वाविंशतिं भल्लान् कृतवर्मा च विंशतिम्। बृहद्बलस्तु पञ्चाशत् कृपः शारद्वतो दश॥
Karna then pierced Abhimanyu with lwenty-two broad-headed shafts. Kritavarman with fourteen, Brihadbala with fifty and Kripa the son of Saradvata with ten.
तांस्तु प्रत्यवधीत् सर्वान् दशभिर्दशभिः शरैः। तैरर्चमानः सौभद्रः सर्वतो निशितैः शरैः॥ तं कोसलानामधिपः कर्णिनाताडयद्धृदि। स तस्याश्वान् ध्वजं चापं सूतं चापातयत् क्षितौ॥
In return, Abhimanyu pierced each of them with ten shafts. Then the ruler of the Kosalas pierced him on the breast with a barbed dart. Abhimanyu then felled on the ground his horses, his standards, his bow and his charioteer.
अथ कोसलराजस्तु विरथः खड्गचर्मभृत्। इयेष फाल्गुनेः कायाच्छिरो हतु सकुण्डलम्॥
Thercupon deprived of the use of his bar the king of the Kosalas grasping his sword and shield. Strove to take off the head, graced with ear-rings, of Phalguna's son, from his trunk
स कोसलानामधिपं राजपुत्रं बृहद्वलम्। हदि विव्याघ बाणेन स भिन्नहृदयोऽपतत्॥
Then the latter, pierced the ruler of Kosalas; by name prince Brihadbala on the breast, with arrows; and the latter fell down with his breast cleft open.
बभञ्ज च सहस्त्राणि दश राज्ञां महात्मनाम् सृजतामशिवा वाचः खड्गकार्मुकधारिणाम्।। २३
Then ten thousand high-souled kings broke away. Uttering abusive language (againsi Duryodhana), armed though they were with swords and bows.
तथा बृहद्बलं हन्ता सौभद्रो व्यचरद् रणे। व्यष्टम्भयन्महेष्वासो योधास्तव शराम्बुभिः॥
Thereafter having slain Brihadbala in battle, Subhadra's son careered through the field, the paralysed the mighty car-warriors of your army with a downpour of arrowy showers.